MURFREESBORO − Rick Insell wasn’t overly emotional following Middle Tennessee State’s 66-56 loss to Cleveland State in the WNIT Super 16 round on March 26.
Maybe the reality of coaching his final game hadn’t sunk in yet. Maybe it was the months of preparation for the moment.
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Or maybe it’s because he likely won’t be far removed from the women’s basketball program after his son, Matt Insell takes over.
“As my (athletic director Chris Massaro) standing back there can tell you, I don’t get caught up in all of that kind of stuff,” said Insell, who announced his retirement on March 19. “You know … I may be back on the bench next year. I won’t be the head coach, but if these guys will let me, and if they want me, I might be able to offer a little help.
“That will be up to Chris, and of course, (MTSU president) Dr. (Sidney) McPhee will be here until December. I’m sure if I wanted to slide into practice and take on some kind of voluntary role, I’m sure they might let me … maybe.”
Insell finished his MTSU career with 506 victories as the Blue Raiders (17-16) were denied a trip to the WNIT’s Great 8.
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He already said he would be open to an associate role within the athletic department, and being around a program his son coaches is certainly expected. Matt Insell has already been named his successor.
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“So so proud of the players that I’ve got,” Rick Insell said of this team with four freshmen starting against Cleveland State. “From the get-go, I knew it was going to be a tough year. I didn’t know that all of the other (adversity) off the floor was going to take place. They handled it like champions.”
Going back almost 50 years to the start of his high school coaching career, Insell retires with 1,280 overall wins and multiple hall of fame inductions.
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“What we’ve learned is from this guy (Rick Insell),” said MTSU freshman forward Blair Baugus, who scored 17 points with six rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter. “I think that’s why we’re so emotional … we love him so much. And it hurts me to know that I won’t get to play another game with him as the head coach. But I know that he will be around to help us and encourage us.
Colbi Maples led Cleveland State (26-9) with 19 points.
MTSU women’s basketball poised for future success
The last time MTSU had a lineup on the floor as loaded with freshmen was also during the WNIT, when the Blue Raiders made a Final Four run in 2022. That group stayed together for the most part, added some key pieces and went on to back-to-back NCAA Tournament runs.
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With freshmen Baugus and Macy Phifer as the foundation of this team, Insell believes the future could be even brighter for the program.
“I see a (NCAA Tournament) Sweet 16 or Elite 8,” Insell said. “If we get the right pieces. Matt’s been on the phone. He got hired on Tuesday and Wednesday he was on the phone all day. He’s working right now. There’s some pieces that we need. He gets those pieces and we keep these young ladies playing and getting stronger, I think you’re going to see something really special at Middle Tennessee State University.”
Phifer, who scored 17 points with five rebounds, got emotional talking about her first year with the program.
“He’s brought out another side of me I didn’t know I had,” Phifer said. “It’s been such a joy to play for him. It’s been such a joy to play for him and play with these girls. I can confidently say this has been one of the hardest years of my life, but it has been so rewarding. Coach Rick has pushed me harder than I’ve ever been pushed in my life. I can tell you that I’m not the same girl I was when I got here in June, because of Coach Rick.”
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Alayna Contreras scored nine points for MTSU, which was outrebounded 43-24 and committed 23 turnovers.
“We have grown so much over the past few months,” Baugus said. “I know that if we’ve grown this much this quickly, the next three years, there’s no telling how good we can get.”
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rick Insell coaches final game with MTSU women’s basketball in WNIT loss
